We had some visitors who had never experienced the delights of Love Lane, so we gave them a little guided tour, from the funky Broken Down Valise bar across from the train station to the excellent Village Cheese Shop, with stops along the way to admire the Sweet Shop and Lombardi’s Market and the wall murals. Then we settled down on the shaded back patio (which would be a nicer setting if it didn’t look out on the parking lot) for a tasting at the Roanoke Vineyards Wine Bar.

One view of the back patio area

You used to be able to go to the Roanoke winery itself (on Sound Avenue just off Roanoke Avenue), but now the only way to taste their wines is in their wine bar on Love Lane, as the winery itself is only open to members of their wine club and their guests. I particularly remember one chilly winter evening when we were the only people at the winery and had a tasting of red wines and chocolates. Yum. However, the wine bar is conveniently located in the middle of the North Fork.

The room itself is rather small, with a bar along one side and a few tables and some comfortable chairs, and so is the back patio. But even in July, Wednesdays are rather quiet on the North Fork, and for much of our time there we were the only customers. As has been the rule this week, the weather alternated between rainy and steamy, but we were comfortable on the patio and enjoyed sipping and chatting with our friends.

The tasting menu used to be more extensive, but at the moment there is only one option: four tastes for $14. We decided each couple would share one taste, which the server brought out to us one at a time, quickly adapting to our slow and thoughtful pace. You can also buy bottles of wine from a few other wineries, including our favorite, Channing Daughters, and also Wölffer Estates, Red Hook, and Grapes of Roth.

2016 Roanoke Vineyards Pinot Blanc $24

Our friend’s initial reaction to the aroma of this wine was “pungent!” And yes, it has a rather sharp aroma of pineapple, with a whiff of some sort of chemical. A blend of 95% pinot blanc and 5% viognier, this is a light, dry summery wine with tastes of pineapple and citrus. It would be good with clams or oysters.

Pretty labels

2017 Infinite Possibility $22

Just consider all the possibilities of taste and aroma you can get from a blend, in this case of 60% sauvignon blanc, 39.5% chardonnay, and .5% muscat and malvasia. Our server describes this wine as smelling sweeter than it tastes, and she’s not wrong. It smells like honeysuckle and tropical fruits, but the taste is dry and lemony, with hints of guava and spice. Tasty.

We liked the concept and the label better than the wine for this one.

2017 Site Specific Chardonnay The Wild! $22

Yes, that is the exact name of this wine, including the italics and the exclamation point. Made from a muscat clone and steel-tank fermented with wild yeasts, you would never think this was a chardonnay if not for the name. A year ago we liked it, and the friend we were with bought a bottle. This year, not so much. There’s something verging on the unpleasant in the taste, which our friend describes as “yeasty.” We also get minerals and a touch of the nuttiness we liked last year, though this time it is more like bitter almond. And that’s why we have to go back every year!

2016 ≥ (Greater Than) $22

The only red in the tasting, this is a Bordeaux-style blend of 53% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, and 17% cabernet franc. It has a pleasant aroma of cherry and other fruit and also tastes of the cherry one would expect with a merlot. It is very dry, with some nice tannins, and would be good with a juicy hamburger (It is getting close to supper time!) We are intrigued by the name, and discover that it has a dual meaning. One is that, as a blend, it is greater than the sum of its parts. The other involves a dispute over the previous name of the wine, which was Bond. It turned out a California winery had a prior claim to the name, so the new name is a quiet dig at them…this one’s greater than yours! We bought a bottle.

This leafy alley leads to Love Lane on one side and the parking lot on the other.

Reasons to visit: convenient location amid the shops and restaurants of Love Lane; pleasant backyard patio; Greater Than; you can buy bottles of wine from other wineries; they have a variety of special events for members.

Why the reference to beef? Because in addition to running a winery, the McCalls also raise Charolais cattle, and sell their grass-fed meat at the winery when it is available.

If you look on their website, you will see that they care about the environment and have taken steps to protect and improve it. They also are careful with their grapes, and, while not certified organic, they do try to minimize the use of chemicals. They focus mostly on red wines, though they do now have some whites.

A tasting in a former horse stall!

We went there on a breezy Saturday afternoon, and had a debate about whether to sit inside or outside. Though we ended up inside, quite a few people were sitting under the trees on the lawn. We did note that as they were served with cheese trays several crackers were gone with the wind.

“Inside” is a converted stable, where you can actually sit in a cozy former horse stall or at a table in the central area. We noticed all sorts of horse-related objects—saddles, bits, etc.—hanging on the walls, and a large mural showing the original Native American occupants of the land.

Next time I go I will ask about that mural.

The menu offers three options: Blancs, three whites and a rosé for $12; Noble, two whites and two reds for $15; and Reserve, four of their better reds for $19. Knowing they pride themselves on their reds, we decided to share a tasting of the Reserve wines. They do a two ounce pour, so sharing one tasting was plenty for us. Mrs. McCall happened to wait on me, and she was happy to give details on each wine as we took them two by two to our table. In the past we have also chatted with Mr. McCall, and they are both very pleasant and interesting to talk to.

2013 Hillside Pinot Noir $48

Mrs. McCall informed me that they leave these grapes on the vines longer than for their other pinot noir, making for a richer wine. These particular vines are located on a sloping piece of their property, hence the name. The East End of Long Island is quite flat, but there are some small hills, including one as you approach Greenport that may not be steep but is long, as I recall every time I ascend it on my bicycle. Back to the wine. The aroma is fruity, with some cherry and other dark fruit. The wine is dry, with some tannins, and pleasant fruit tastes, but is overall rather light, especially in this price range. I think it would be better with food, and my husband opines that is it “closed,” which he defines unhelpfully as “not opened up.” Maybe it needs more aging.

Our first two tastes, plus a view of the lawn.

2014 Cabernet Franc $48

The vines for this wine are thirty-five years old, and the older the vines the better the wines. This is certainly a cut above the usual Long Island reds. I think you could even pass this off as a French wine. It has some layers of flavor and nice fruit, plus enough tannins that you could probably age it. On the other hand, it has very little aroma.

The bottles for the Reserve tasting

2010 Merlot Reserve $48

Like most Long Island merlots, this has distinct cherry flavors and aromas. I also think I get a faint whiff of pine, or forest. This is another pleasant wine that doesn’t seem worth the price, though we like it. Not much tannin.

Ben’s Blend has a beautiful dark color.

2013 Ben’s Blend $54

Ben was their original winemaker, who sadly died rather young, so they commemorate him in the name of their Bordeaux blend. It is 50% merlot, 25% cabernet franc, plus smaller amounts of cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. The wine has a beautiful dark color, but is not as rich as one might expect. The aroma is fruity, with also some funkiness like a forest floor. The taste is good, not great, but again, maybe it could still age some more. It feels like it doesn’t quite come together. My husband thinks it would have gone well with our dinner last night of spaghetti with Italian sausage–or maybe with a steak from the McCalls’ herd.

Beef

Reasons to visit: uncrowded setting (limos only by appointment) with a pleasant outdoor area and interesting indoor setting; the reds, especially the cabernet franc; you can also buy grass-fed beef to take home; no outside food on the weekends, but they do offer a generous cheese tray for $20 (and if a few crackers blow away they bring you extras). I didn’t ask about dogs, but we saw one couple bringing theirs to the outside area.

Watch carefully for the entrance, since you don’t really see the building from the road. And even though they are just off the main road, their setting feels very rural.

As you near the southern end of Peconic Lane, you come to Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard, formerly Ackerly Pond.

Here’s another place where you can often talk to the winemaker or a member of his family. On this beautiful Friday afternoon we were served our wine by a daughter of Anthony Sannino, who has clearly absorbed much of her father’s love of winemaking. I enjoy these discussions, as I always learn something new about wine and wine-making.

This view encompasses most of the tasting room.

The cozy Sannino tasting room is in a converted barn, and they also have a pleasant outdoor area with some shade-giving canopies. Since we had the place to ourselves, we decided to sit outside and enjoy the warm—but not too hot—afternoon. Our decision was facilitated by the fact that they serve all of your tastes at once, on a tray with circles where you can indicate your choices.

A tasting is $18 for six tastes, or $3.50 per taste. As we perused the menu of thirteen wines (plus two that are sold out), Ms. Sannino gave us some useful information about the choices. Most of the whites are new this year, the 2017 vintage, except for a couple of oaked ones. The reds are about to be supplanted by a new vintage, so we may have to come back to try the rest of them. She’s particularly enthusiastic about the 2015 reds, she told us, as it was a good year for reds.

She also offered us a cheese and charcuterie tray, but we had had lunch, so we declined. It did sound very nice. By the way, they don’t allow outside food or drinks. She also proudly pointed out a number of their wines which had recently won awards. We will be looking forward, in a few years, to see the result of an experiment they are trying: they have planted three acres with several different varieties of grapes which no one else on the North Fork is growing.

We finally decided to try all six of the 2017 whites in a shared tasting. How about the reds? We were going to come back another day, but then, after we finished the whites, we decided to go ahead and add the four reds on the menu. (My husband, the designated driver, gallantly offered to have just one sip of each while I finished the rest of the glass. It’s a tough job…) On her own, Ms. Sannino added a taste of the 2015 cabernet franc, which will soon be on the menu.

Five whites and one rose

2017 Gewürztraminer $24

Since gewürztraminer can often be sweet, I was wondering why this was first on the menu. One sip told me why—it’s not sweet! The menu describes it as “elegant,” which is not a bad summary, though it doesn’t really tell you much about the wine. The aroma is quite floral and the taste combines spice and fruit and some minerality, plus a touch of grapefruit. Overall it is dry and light, without the veggie taste you sometimes get in a gewürztraminer.

Another couple of months and they’ll be wine.

2017 Chilly Day Chardonnay $24

The menu also includes an oaked chard, but I tend to prefer steel, so I stuck with this one. There’s not much aroma, though I detect a hint of forest floor. However, it tastes better than it smells, with a toasty warmth and a touch of lime. “Serviceable,” says my tasting buddy. I think it would be good with bluefish.

2017 Fresco White Blend $20

Our server notes that since this is a blend of the other wines we have in the tasting, it might be fun to taste back and forth, trying to detect the traces of each in this one. It’s a blend of 55% chardonnay, 15% gewürztraminer, 15% riesling, and 15% sauvignon blanc. I like the aroma, which is sweet and complex, with something a bit funky (like the chardonnay) and minerality. The taste, however, is relatively simple, but dry, with notes of salt and, believe it or not, cucumber. It’s nice to sip outside on a warm summer day. If we hadn’t just replenished our whites I could see buying a bottle.

2017 Sauvignon Blanc $26

The menu describes this as “off dry,” which sometimes means too sweet for us, but though this does have some sweetness I find it balanced enough that I like it. The aroma is very attractive, and reminds me of 7 Up, of all things. There are tastes of mango and pineapple, but the sweetness dissipates fairly quickly so you get other flavors as well. I think it would pair well with charcuterie, and when I note this to our server she tells us how this wine came to be. Her father, the winemaker, called her one day to say that the wine had, on its own, stopped fermentation. Happy with the result, he left it as is. Good decision.

2017 Riesling $22

On the other hand, the riesling is too sweet. It smells like clover honey and tastes like sweet oranges with some spice. It might be okay with Thai food.

The rose is a pretty color.

2017 Bianca Dolce $16

“Gentle pink roses” says the menu of this rosé. I’m not sure what a gentle rose is, but this is a very pleasant rosé, made from 100% merlot with the “free run juice” which comes right off the grapes. Typical strawberry aroma and flavor, this is another dry, light wine. I still prefer Croteaux.

2014 Merlot $25

Now we get a fresh tray of reds, labeled on the paper with the number on the menu of the wine. 2014 was not a great year for reds, and this is a fairly light merlot, with typical cherry flavor and aroma. Just okay.

2014 Syrah $30

This is from their “certified sustainable” vineyard. It has some tannins and nice fruit, but almost no aroma. This is not a big wine, but would be okay with lamb chops.

2014 “Spotlight” Petit Verdot $35

Why “spotlight”? Because, she explains, most wineries use petit verdot as a blending wine, but in this case they wanted to put the spotlight on the petit verdot, just blending in 15% cabernet sauvignon. After the fruity aroma I was expecting a bigger wine, but this is good anyway. My husband notes that it starts stronger than it ends. Perhaps it needs to age more, as we do detect some tannins.

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon $30

I insist this smells like grape Jell-O. I am doubted. In any event, this is another dry, rather light red, with some cherry berry tastes. It wouldn’t stand up to a steak, but could go with pork chops.

An array of bottles bearing awards

2015 Cabernet Franc $? (Not on the menu, but the sold-out 2014 was $34)

Power of the book, as we often say, but also, I like to think, of our sincere interest in the wines: we get an extra taste. And this is the best of the reds, for sure. I swear it smells like bread and butter pickles, as well as fruit. The wine has lots of tannins but is rather smooth and certainly has potential, perhaps with more aging. Good. I enjoy drinking it. Pairing? How about a marinated strip steak with chimichurri sauce?

Some wine-related gifts. I bought one.

Reasons to visit: pleasant small winery with the chance to talk with the winemaker or a family member; on Peconic Lane, so it could be part of a winery walking tour; the Fresco White Blend, the sauvignon blanc, the 2015 cabernet franc; nice outdoor area; small selection of wine-related gift items, including t-shirts and candles. They also offer wine-making classes, tours of the winery, and overnights at their small inn.

Though they’ve sold out all the Ackerly Pond wines, they keep the sign up out of respect for their predecessor at the site.

“We’re actually here for the air-conditioning,” we only partially joked with our server, as we arrived at Shinn in the midst of a heat wave. And even though the outside patio area has been beautifully re-done and expanded since our last visit, no one was tempted to sit outside.

There’s also seating out in the yard, but the parking lot is quite small for the number of seats at the winery.

We were particularly curious to check out Shinn, a winery we like for several reasons, since it is under new ownership for the first time since it was founded. As we sipped and discussed the wines and I wrote in my notebook, the new owner, Randy Frankel, entered and introduced himself. He was talking to everyone in the room, but he was evidently intrigued by my notebook and asked what we thought of the wines so far. We had just finished our flight of three whites and a rosé, and my husband summarized our opinion by saying we found the wines, “Safe.” Randy seemed a bit perturbed by that description and he said, “Wait, the winemaker is right here. Tell him. Patrick!”

One side of the tasting room

As we discussed the fact that we found the wines quite drinkable but rather light and simple, he suggested that we try the other rosé, not the one we had chosen from the menu. And indeed, we liked it better, and found it more interesting. We discussed Croteaux, and lamented the closing of their garden, and he eagerly informed us that they would be hosting a Croteaux pop-up event at their winery that week.

More of the patio

The party room and another part of the patio

Then he suggested we check out the new party room he was having remodeled, just across the patio from the tasting room. As we walked over, we noticed that the patio was even larger that we had seen at first, with some comfortable-looking seating. Not quite as pretty as Croteaux’s garden, but with a few more flowers it would come close. The room he led us to has comfortable leather couches and a big fireplace. My husband said, “It reminds me of Sherwood House.” Randy introduced us to the designer, who was there, and who also designed Sherwood’s tasting room! Good eye, dear. Randy then gave another couple the same tour. We have learned that if you take your tasting seriously, especially if you take notes, you often get extra attention from servers.

We finally confessed to our server that I write a blog, and she insisted we try a taste of their most expensive wine. Then, as we bought two bottles of wine, she comped us our tastings. Plenty of places will comp your tasting if you buy a certain number of bottles, but I assume this was in response to my being a blogger. (Full disclosure!)

The wine menu lists ten wines under the heading “Traditional Wine Tasting,” of which you can choose four for a $16 tasting, and five “Small Production” wines, of which you can choose four for a $24 tasting. They also have two brandies and an eau de vie available by the glass, at $15 for the brandies and $10 for the eau de vie. You get all of your tastes at once, identified by little labels, so you can easily have your tasting at a table inside or outside. They do not allow outside food, and have a small menu of snacks, including North Fork doughnuts and a charcuterie platter. We got a dish of mixed nuts for $5.

By the way, Shinn also has a four-room B and B at the winery, which Randy said has also been remodeled, and they offer tours of the winery for $35 if you book ahead.

2017 Coalescence $19

A blend, this is the perfect illustration that the year matters. In the past we have alternated liking and not liking this wine. This time we liked it! 36% sauvignon blanc, 34% chardonnay, 2.6% riesling, 2.5% semillon, and 1.5% pinot blanc is the blend. I got a faint whiff of cat pee aroma, but mostly honeysuckle and minerals. The taste is light and lemony, dry yet mouth-watering. It would be great with bluefish.

Our tasting of three whites and a rose.

2017 First Fruit $22

The menu labels this as made with “aromatic sauvignon blanc,” but we don’t find it particularly aromatic. It is also very light, maybe too light. As my tasting pal notes, one could guzzle this and not even notice. I feel as though I taste some toasted coconut, though he disagrees.

New label design

2016 Riesling $22

We wondered whether this was made with local grapes or grapes from upstate, since the menu identifies it as coming from the “Robert Schreiber vineyard.” No, we are told, the vineyard is just down the street. Though I detect a bit of cotton candy aroma, there is no sweetness to this very dry riesling. In fact, opines my husband, he would not even think it was a riesling, it is so dry and light. “It’s almost not there,” he says.

Particularly welcome on this hot day, a bottle of chilled water comes with the tastings.

2016 Rosé $19

According to our server, this is the less sweet of the two rosés, so we choose it. 100% merlot, it smells like strawberry-rhubarb pie and has some strawberry taste, but again, it is very light and the taste quickly evanesces.

The bottle of Rose Hill

2017 Rose Hill Rosé $24

As I noted above, this is an extra taste we were given, and I’m glad we were. The color of this is very light, almost white, but the taste is much more interesting than the other rosé. It is a blend of merlot, chardonnay, and riesling, and Patrick informs us that it spends very little time on the skins, hence the light color. We get lots of fruit tastes plus refreshing minerality. They have it on tap at the winery! We decide we will buy a bottle.

2017 Cabernet Franc $30

Now we line up four reds to taste, starting with this one, which is steel fermented and has no sulfites. It was made at the request of a restaurant, and then the winery decided to make some for themselves as well. As you would expect from a steel-fermented red, this is fruity, with cherry flavor and not much else. No tannins. “Undistinguished but pleasant,” says my husband. I could see making it into sangria.

We were so deep in conversation that we had made inroads on the nuts and the reds before I remembered to take a picture.

Non-Vintage Red Blend $19

Lots of wineries have a wine like this, a blend of various wines from various years. Some attempt to produce some sort of consistent taste from year to year, and others just try to make a drinkable wine. Not sure what the philosophy is here, but it is quite a nice wine. A blend of merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, and petit verdot, it has a fruity aroma and taste with some pleasant tannins. It would be good with lamb chops. We buy a bottle of this, too, as we are always on the lookout for everyday dinner wines.

2015 Estate Merlot $30

Cherry aroma and taste define this as a rather typical North Fork merlot. Nothing wrong with that. This one is a bit on the light side, with some soft tannins.

2015 Seven Barrels $38

Guess how many barrels of this they’ve made. 93% merlot, 4% cabernet sauvignon, and 3% petit verdot: I summarized this one as “cherry berry.” This is the most interesting of the wines so far, with some tannins and minerality, very drinkable. It would be good with a wide range of foods, including steak.

2013 Grace $90

Yes, that’s $90 a bottle. We generally don’t spend that much for a bottle of wine unless it’s for a very special occasion, but this is a very good wine. Maybe someday. A blend of 66% cabernet franc, 31% merlot, and 3% cabernet sauvignon, there are only three barrels of it. It smells delicious, complex, with layers of flavor. There’s fruit, but also tannins that make me think it could age well.

Reasons to visit: pleasantly rustic room and patio a bit off the beaten path; the Rose Hill Rosé, the 2013 Grace, the 2017 Coalescence, the Non-Vintage Red Blend, the Seven Barrels; small menu of snacks; they serve a bottle of chilled water with your tasting; I didn’t ask the current owners, but in the past they allowed dogs on the patio; an inn where you can spend the night.